Chapter 1

A psycho who burns people while smiling.

A lunatic who stripped elder mages naked and chased them out.

A thug who has never once replied to an imperial invitation.

A madman who sent monster corpses as tribute to the imperial family.

Just a complete delinquent.

All of these were words used to describe the new Master of the Magic Tower.

I clenched my trembling fist and glared at the grand entrance of the towering structure.

There were also titles like genius mage and the youngest Magic Tower Master, but none of those sounded like they would keep me alive.

‘Calm down. Stay calm.’

This might become my greatest achievement since winning first place in that contest where you had to identify a magical beast just by hearing one second of its cry.

The achievement of becoming the first government official to die at the hands of the new Tower Master.

‘No… it’ll be fine.’

I shook my head, forcing myself to think positively.

‘No matter how crazy he is, there’s no rumor that he’s killed a civil servant. …Not yet, anyway.’

Still, I couldn’t stop my shoulders from stiffening with tension.

Do you know who the poor soul is that got dispatched to this Magic Tower surrounded by terrifying rumors?

That would be me—Vivian Soling, a government official from the Magical Beast Ecology Research Bureau of the Gaiana Empire.

Like anyone else would be, I really didn’t want to come here.

‘Every official who met the new Tower Master came back to the imperial palace in tears.’

I didn’t hear the details, but one thing was certain—they all failed to get his signature on official documents.

‘Some of the previous staff even had their hair burned off. So that means I might end up like them…’

My rigid shoulders trembled, but I couldn’t just stand in front of the tower forever.

“Director, you’ll really transfer me to another department, right?”

“Of course. Just get the Tower Master’s seal on this document, and you can go wherever you want!”

The once-a-year opportunity for departmental transfer. I desperately needed it.

Maybe I couldn’t risk my life for it, but I could risk my hair. Hair grows back even if it burns.

‘Alright. Let’s go in.’

After taking a deep breath, I steeled myself and pushed the door open.

Or rather, the moment I touched the handle, the heavy doors opened on their own.

Creeeak—

At that moment, all the mages in the lobby stopped walking and turned to look at me.

“……”

I unconsciously shrank back, then straightened up as if nothing happened. Showing fear here wouldn’t help me.

“I’ve come from the imperial palace. I sent notice in advance that I would be meeting the Tower Master—”

Despite trying to speak calmly, I couldn’t finish my sentence.

One of the mages was stuffing imperial letters straight into the fireplace. Very deliberately.

None of them seemed interested in what I was saying. They just stared at my government uniform with gleaming eyes.

“A government official.”

“Another one? I thought they gave up.”

They looked me up and down with anticipation.

“I bet five minutes.”

“Five minutes? She looks too weak. I say three.”

“She probably heard all the scary rumors and will start crying the moment she sees him. I bet one minute.”

‘Go ahead and make your bets.’

I had already prepared myself for losing my hair. Being laughed at like this was nothing.

‘Whether I cry or not, as long as I get that signature, that’s all that matters.’

I decided to ignore them and wait for the Tower Master to appear.

Then I heard something I couldn’t ignore.

“One minute is impossible. She’ll lose her mind the moment she sees his face.”

“The last official also got distracted staring at him before getting burned.”

“Well, yeah. Whether male or female, everyone gets captivated by his looks first—wait, what?”

The mage who had been mocking me flinched.

Only then did I realize I had been glaring at them.

Annoyance surged, and I let out a scoff, forgetting my fear.

‘I’ve already heard the rumors that the new Tower Master is handsome.’

I once heard an official from another department crying, saying, “He’s insane, but he’s handsome.”

They even said it was a waste for someone with that face to stay cooped up in the Magic Tower.

But no matter how handsome he was, I had already developed immunity to good looks.

After all, I had dated the most handsome man in the empire.

‘…Kay.’

My ex-boyfriend from a year ago.

Thanks to that good-for-nothing ex, I learned the hard way that you can’t trust good-looking men.

Of course, I didn’t date him just for his face—but it definitely played a big role.

So there was no way I’d ever lose my senses over someone’s appearance again.

‘Wait… the new Tower Master’s name was Kade, wasn’t it?’

A sudden wave of irritation rose.

It wasn’t just because his name was similar.

It was because just thinking of it vividly brought back that man’s soft, pale hair and blue eyes.

It irritated me that I still remembered his pretty face so clearly.

His cute habit of liking flowers. The way he called me “Bibi” with a smile. Even the small mole near his eye…

‘S-stop! Stop thinking about him! This is not the time!’

It wasn’t because I still had feelings for him. Absolutely not.

‘There’s no way I’d still care about a guy like that.’

I bit my lip and tried to compose myself.

Then—

A faint whistling sound echoed from somewhere.

It carried a lazy breath, sending a chilling sensation across the lobby like thin ice forming.

“The Tower Master.”

“That official’s done for.”

The fear I had momentarily forgotten returned as I slowly turned around.

From the dim staircase at the end of the lobby, someone was walking down slowly.

A dagger spun carelessly in one hand, gleaming like a snake’s fang.

Wrapped in a long robe and standing in shadow, I could only tell he was tall with broad shoulders.

His head was turned slightly away—he wasn’t even looking at me.

“Wow. You sent another government official? Persistent, aren’t you?”

His voice was relaxed, almost amused—but there was killing intent behind it.

I narrowed my eyes.

‘Huh… this voice…’

It was youthful yet deep, calm yet clear.

And strangely familiar.

It overlapped with a voice that used to call me “Bibi.”

“Maybe I should gouge their eyes out before sending them back. Or… maybe I shouldn’t send them back at all?”

He stepped out of the shadows, sneering.

The dagger spun lazily at his fingertips.

And then—

His face was revealed under the light.

“See? She was glaring at us earlier, but now she’s completely stunned.”

“Told you. Everyone’s like that.”

Just like they said, I froze.

I had no choice.

The Tower Master, still not even looking at me, glanced around at the mages and smirked.

“Nice not meeting you. Now get lost.”

A glowing magic circle flickered at his fingertips.

Whoosh—

I felt a massive fireball forming above my head.

As the heat approached—

“…trash?”

The word slipped out unconsciously.

The Tower Master frowned and finally looked at me.

Even from a distance, our eyes met perfectly.

His eyes widened in recognition.

In the next instant—

His robe fluttered before my eyes.

He teleported instantly, pulling me into his arms and dispersing the fireball.

Gasps of shock echoed all around.

But I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

He looked down at me, clearly flustered.

Soft beige hair.

Blue eyes like water.

‘Why is this bastard… here…?’

He was—

My ex-boyfriend.

Kay.

As I stared at him in disbelief, a memory I didn’t want to recall surfaced.

One Year Ago

Crash—

A wave slammed against the breakwater, shattering into white foam.

I asked, dazed, as if I had just been slapped.

“…Break up? Right now?”

I was holding out a bouquet to Kay—my boyfriend of two years.

And at the same time—

I had just been dumped.